Honda Automobiles: 2017 Honda Civic Type R – Answer Your Car Auto Questions Here

Overview
The new 2017 Civic Type R shares its unibody structure with the Civic Hatchback as part of the 10th generation Civic lineup, including its extensive use of high-strength steel and Honda’s next-generation ACE™ body structure and crash stroke front frame, which enables superior crash-worthiness. Other benefits to this rigid but lightweight structure include low overall noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and extraordinary dynamic capabilities. The additional use of structural adhesive adds rigidity for the Type R’s performance driving mission, while the intensive body sealing measures and flush-mounted acoustic windshield glass contribute to the Type R’s track-ready yet street-civilized driving character.

Exterior Styling
Slightly longer and wider than the Hatchback, the Type R exterior has numerous functional, stylistic and aerodynamic upgrades, including high-performance 20-inch wheels and tires. Up front, a black grille, and unique red and chrome Honda and Type R badges define the Civic’s characteristic “wing” fascia, while LED headlights, LED fog lights, aggressive air inlets and a splitter with red edge trim further distinguish the Type R at a glance. An air scoop, inset with the aluminum hood, helps cool the engine compartment.

Among the aerodynamic aids are roof-mounted vortex generators and a hatch-mounted wing. Along the body sides is flush-mounted glass with black trim, while under the vehicle are strategically located strakes and panels that further improve aero performance. Wide front and rear fenders cover the track-ready 20-inch wheels and tires.

At the rear of the Civic Type R are the Civic’s characteristic LED “light pipe” taillights, a flush-mounted rear window, rear vortex generators, wing and diffuser, the 3-outlet center exhaust, an additional red and chrome Honda badge, and an exclusive Type R badge. The Type R is as functional as it is aggressive, because the large tailgate is sized to allow easy loading of sports equipment, luggage and even bulky cargo.

Key Body and Exterior Features

Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure with crash stroke front frame design
61-percent high strength steel body structure (21-percent ultra-high strength steel)
Unibody structural adhesive
Class-leading aerodynamic performance
LED daytime running lights (DRL)
LED fog lights
LED headlights
LED turn signals
Aluminum Hood
Class-leading forward visibility
Acoustic-glass, flush mounted windshield
Variable intermittent windshield wipers
Advanced Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) countermeasures
Sound-absorbing undercovers
Black side window trim
Capless fueling system
Roofline vortex generators
Rear wing
LED taillights
LED brake lights
Center-mounted 3-outlet exhaust
Rear diffuser

Exterior Dimensions
The 2017 Civic Type R shares its 106.3-in wheelbase with the Civic Hatchback for easy ingress and egress, enhanced second-row seating roominess, and cargo storage capability. The unique aerodynamic front and rear fascias give the Type R 1.5-inches greater overall length compared to the Hatchback (179.4 in vs. 177.9 in, respectively), contributing to the Type R’s aggressive appearance.

The Civic Type R is 3.1-inches wider than the Civic Hatchback (73.9 in vs. 70.8 in), a direct result of its wider performance-oriented front and rear track (2.1 in wider in front, 1.2 in wider in back), its wider 20-inch wheels and tires, and the accompanying wider fenders. As found on the other 2017 Civic models, flat under-covers and extensive aerodynamic detailing help to minimize drag and maximize fuel efficiency on the
Type R.

2017 Civic Hatchback LX vs. 2017 Civic Type R Key Body Specifications

(See the Specifications and Features document for all data.)

High-Strength Steel
Multiple steel grades are used in the Civic Type R’s body construction to help achieve excellent overall vehicle dynamics, optimize safety performance, and lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Materials range from five different grades of steel, including premium hot-stamp steel and ultra-high-strength steel used in the unibody, to aluminum for the front bumper beam and exclusive hood. All were chosen to achieve the best combination of strength, rigidity, dynamic performance and light weight. In total, 60 percent of the Civic Type R’s body structure is composed of high-strength steel. And additional 15 pounds is saved through the use of the aluminum hood and lightweight insulation, compared to the Civic Hatchback.

Body Materials

Aluminum Hood
Saving 11.7 pounds compared to the Civic Hatchback’s steel hood, the Type R’s aluminum hood directly contributes to the vehicles low mass, lower center of gravity and optimized front/rear weight distribution. The result is a better-balanced vehicle, superior handling dynamics and higher level of exclusivity.

Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™)
As an integral part of the Civic Type R structure, Honda’s proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body-structure enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions. ACE utilizes a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle, thus reducing the forces transferred to the passenger compartment. ACE channels frontal crash energy to both upper and lower structural elements, including the floor frame rails, side sills and A-pillars.

Crash Stroke
The ACE™ structure used on the Civic Type R features a crash stroke technology, developed by Honda engineers in the company’s advanced safety research laboratory in Raymond. Ohio. With the crash stroke structure, in a frontal collision the lower section of the front vehicle frame hinges to direct the engine down and rearward, helping direct crash energy into the vehicle’s floor while also minimizing cabin intrusion. This crucial piece of safety engineering effectively adds 80 mm (3.2 in) of additional energy-absorbing “crash stroke” to the front of the vehicle.

Besides helping the Civic Type R aim for the highest ratings in the rigorous federal crash tests, the crash stroke structure enabled designers to develop the body design to feature a short front overhang and short hood-line for a unique and exciting appearance, excellent outward visibility and improved handling.

Body Rigidity
The benefits of the Civic Type R’s unibody stiffness are numerous, including the ability to tune the suspension for class-leading steering and handling characteristics. The rigid body structure also helps maintain a satisfying ride experience for the passengers, with less NVH felt over a wide range of driving conditions. Some key advancements in body structure include the following (see the Safety Driver Assistance section for more information):

Under the Hood

A lower stiffener, located behind the engine on the front bulkhead, improves ride comfort.

In the Unibody

Certain connection areas — where the A-pillars meet the floor sills, and the B-pillars meet both the floor sills and roof rails – have been reinforced to improve handling performance. This has also contributed to reduced idle vibration and booming.
Large body panels are shaped using computer aided engineering (CAE) to reduce booming.
Gussets positioned inside the rear quarter areas of the unibody reduce road noise.
An internal rear structural ring stiffens the unibody for improved handling.
Short-pitch welding places spot welds 20 mm (0.8 in) apart in critical areas of the unibody, compared to 40 mm to 45 mm (1.6 in to 1.8 in) traditional spacing, increasing stiffness and durability.
Structural adhesive is applied in key stress areas (see below).

Underneath the Vehicle

The floor panel is made of 590-MPa high-strength steel to provide a lighter yet stronger overall structure.
Floor cross-members positioned under the driver and front passenger’s seating area improve ride comfort.
A lateral cross-member and damper structure, located between the rear wheels, improves handling.
A cross-car brace, located at the front of the vehicle, improves handling.

Structural Adhesive
To help the Type R meet its aggressive performance goals, in addition to the welding that forms the Hatchback unibody, the Type R unibody additionally uses nearly 42.7 feet of structural adhesive at key stress areas. Applied at the seam areas of key unibody panels just before welding, the adhesive stiffens the unibody by 12-percent in lateral rigidity, enabling more aggressive suspension tuning while retaining suspension accuracy and resisting the intrusion of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Specific areas of application for the adhesive include the corners of all four door openings and the rear hatch opening, as well as inside the rear wheel houses.

Aerodynamics
Working in aerodynamic harmony, the different features of the Type R bodywork create the ideal balance of low coefficient of drag, which helps it through the air efficiently—with aerodynamic downforce—which increases road-holding and stability at higher speeds. Specially shaped components at the front of the Type R guide airflow through the radiator and into the turbocharged engine’s cold-air intake, while channeling the remaining airflow over, around and under the vehicle. These include functional “air curtains” at the outer edges of the body and a molded under-panel positioned directly beneath the aggressive front splitter, which smoothly starts the rearward flow of air underneath the vehicle. Additionally, an aluminum under-tray is positioned beneath the engine and transmission and features a cooling duct that allows ambient airflow to the hydraulic engine mount. Dual side under-panels further smooth airflow between the front and rear wheels, while lateral strakes located in front of the tires help deflect airflow around them. Narrow A-pillars and flush-mounted glass also further the Civic Type R’s efficient passage through the air.

Finished in carbon texture, stylish side splitters further enhance airflow along the body sides, flaring up ahead of the rear wheels to help air move efficiently over the openings. At the top of the hatch door are four vortex generators that, along with matching side buttresses, help direct airflow over the rear wing. The wing is fully functional and plays a significant role in the Type R achieving a low coefficient of lift. Finished in carbon texture, it is designed to work with both the front splitter and the lower diffuser, which helps air separate cleanly from the back of the car.

Class-leading Forward Visibility
The narrow A-pillar section on the Civic Type R helps provide a class-leading 84.3 degrees of forward visibility (the angle made by drawing lines from the driver’s eye point to the outboard edges of the A pillars). Safety performance is maintained through the pillars’ shape, the precise design of load pathways during a frontal collision or rollover, and the use of 1500 MPa hot-stamped ultra-high-strength steel for the A-pillars.

Power Side Mirrors
The Civic Type R’s body-colored power side mirrors are aerodynamically optimized to reduce wind noise and minimize turbulence. The side mirrors can be manually folded for greater convenience in tight parking situations.

Engine Compartment Isolation
Measures to isolate sound and heat emanating from within the engine compartment include dedicated front, side and rear hood seals (including a special seal around the aluminum hood’s cooling intake), strategically placed heat baffles, a hood insulator panel, an engine under-cover, and dedicated insulation within the instrument panel. Inside the vehicle, a one-piece molded insulated carpet liner adds further to heat isolation and noise reduction.

Acoustic Windshield
Laminated acoustic glass is used for the Civic Type R’s windshield to help reduce noise entering the cabin. Tuned specifically to attenuate wind-noise frequencies, the windshield glass uses an outer layer of 2.0 mm safety glass, a 0.7 mm thick middle layer of acoustic polyvinyl butyl (PVB), and a 1.8 mm safety-glass inner layer for a total thickness of 4.5 mm. This helps the Civic Type R place at the top of its class in wind-noise performance. The windshield also incorporates UV light-absorbing technology. In addition, the Civic Type R has 4.0 mm tempered front door glass and 3.5 mm tempered rear door glass.

Sound-absorbing Undercovers
Underneath the Civic Type R, along both sides of the passenger cabin, are molded plastic absorptive undercovers that help mitigate road and wind noise. A special baffle plate located beneath the center of the floor pan further attenuates wind and road noise.

Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) Countermeasures
Extensive noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) countermeasures in the Civic Type R include strategically placed body sealants, weld seals and other measures to reduce vibration and the transmission of noise.

Key NVH countermeasures include:

In-pillar acoustic separators seal the hollow A-, B- and C-pillars to reduce the transmission of noise from the floor area into the passenger cabin.
Triple door sealing utilizes 360-degree molded door seals to reduce wind noise and improve isolation.
Door gap seals at the rear door edges join triple-sealed door openings and lower door-edge seals in keeping wind noise from entering the cabin.
Eight air-leak reduction moldings and clips at key locations where the side windows slide into the side doors help reduce the possibility of audible air leaks occurring in these locations.
Along with internal bracing, acoustic hole seals fill open areas inside the door structures, significantly reducing the amount of wind and road noise and vibration that can reach the cabin.
Thinsulate™ sound proofing material is used to reduce sound transmission through the roof and the body A- pillars.

Auto On/Off Headlights
Like all 10th generation Civic models, the new Type R features auto-on/off headlights for greater convenience. The Type R’s LED headlights are described below.

LED Lighting
The Civic Type R incorporates a wide range of light-emitting diode (LED) exterior lighting features, including standard LED low- and high-beam headlights. Arranged in a low, sleek and compact in-line display, the LED high-beams provide a longer and wider range of visibility during nighttime driving. The Type R additionally includes LED fog lights. Like other 2017 Civic models, the new Type R also includes LED daytime running lights (DRL), LED one-touch turn signals, and LED taillights, brake lights, license-plate light and center high-mounted stop light.

The LED lighting has several advantages beside improved visibility. The LEDs are both mercury free and lead free, benefiting the environment. They require less power to operate than traditional incandescent lighting, which helps fuel efficiency. The versatility of the LED arrays also contributes to the Civic Hatchback’s sporty design. And finally, LED lights have a longer life and are maintenance free.

Windshield Wipers
The Civic Type R has variable intermittent windshield wipers.

Smart Wipers
Laws in some states require drivers to turn on the headlights when the wipers are operating in the rain. As in all other 10th generation Civic models, the new Civic Type R helps its driver comply with these laws by automatically illuminating the headlights when the wipers are activated in rainy conditions (with headlight switch in Auto).

Details include:

A light sensor detects the ambient brightness and determines when to turn the headlights on or off, while also increasing the illumination of the wiper switch and instrumentation for good visibility.
If rain is intermittent, the lights stay on for a predetermined interval before automatically turning off again.
Operation is shown via an indicator on the instrument panel.
The sensitivity can be controlled by a setting in the MID.

Tailgate
The Civic Type R’s manual tailgate features twin gas-charged hydraulic struts that ease opening and pull-down handle located on the left and right sides. The tailgate can be unlocked by pressing the unlock button on the keyless fob twice (first for driver’s door only, second for all other doors and the tailgate), or the dedicated tailgate button on the fob once. It can also be opened using the button inside the driver’s door. The rear aperture of the Type R body is specially reinforced to strengthen the tailgate opening, which is the largest opening on the vehicle body. The increased rigidity at this critical location improves ride and handling, as well as interior quietness. The tailgate automatically locks whenever the vehicle is locked.

Cargo Area
The Civic Type R’s large cargo area is a key to the car’s day-to-day versatility. A cargo capacity of 25.7 cubic feet with seats up is the largest in class. For even more cargo space, the split-folding 60/40 rear seatbacks can be easily folded down to open up a voluminous 46.2 cu. ft. of cargo area. An innovative, retractable cargo cover, shared with the Civic Hatchback, eliminates the intrusion of a solid cargo cover when the rear seats are folded down. (See the Interior section for more information.)

Body Exterior Features

Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure with crash stroke design
Acoustic windshield
Acoustically sealed unibody
Unibody structural adhesive at key points
Triple door sealing
Underbody aerodynamic tailoring
One-touch turn indicators
Security System with Remote Entry and Trunk Release
LED daytime running lights (DRL)
LED headlights with auto on/off
LED fog lights
LED turn signals
LED taillights
Variable intermittent windshield wipers
Body-colored power side mirrors
Body-colored door handles
Capless fueling system

(See the Specifications Features document for all features.)

Exterior Colors
The new 2017 Civic Type R is available in five exterior colors including two solid colors, one pearl color, and two metallic colors. In keeping with the Type R’s global performance heritage, all five color choices are bold and energetic, complementing the aerodynamic body’s aggressive lines. Significantly, Honda has also brought back its racing heritage color—Championship White. All five exterior colors incorporate an improved urethane clear coat for a more polished appearance and heightened visual appeal.

Selected to complement the Type R’s exterior lines as well as its black and red interior with aluminum and carbon texture accents, the complete lineup of exterior and matching interior colors includes: